Do As I Tell You, Or So Help Me
by Scordatura
Summary: A series of drabbles and one shots for different situations in Attack on Titan, whether melancholy, adorable, frightening, or a mix of other genres. Delves into both anime and manga, crack situations and those to be taken seriously. Here there be everything.
1. Cloudy with a Chance of Sheepish Stares

The first chapter for a series of drabbles and one shots for many different events and situations in Attack on Titan. Hope you like it. (AutumnMobile12 is responsible for the long, strange title of the series...)  
Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan in any way, however I do have a long list of outrageous theories on where the story is going...

-/-\-|-/-\-

_Cloudy with a Chance of Sheepish Stares_

"It's going to rain."

Eren's statement and the tone he used to declare it left almost no room to argue. _Almost _no room, but of course it was enough for Jean who took his own opinion to Eren's like a knife to a fruitcake.

"It's going to be a completely clear day without even the slightest hint of a cloud," the other man argued, rolling his eyes in exhasperation.

"Cloudy, but no rain," Armin piped up, leaning forward with narrowed eyes. "Actually, make that a light drizzle."

"See?" Eren prompted smugly, crossing his arms and leaning back as Jean scowled viciously.

"Maybe the morning will be sunny and it'll rain in the afternoon?" Marco offered up timidly.

"Nah, I'm with Armin this time," Connie admitted uncertainly. "He was right last time, wasn't he?"

"That isn't any way to do it," Jean chided. "You're going to side with him just because he got lucky? Try figuring it out for yourself."

"I did!" Connie protested and was immediately shushed. Lowering his voice, the cadet muttered, "Look, I've been staring at his face for awhile now, and I'm predicting clouds, rain, the whole deal."

"That's because you're looking at him wrong," Reiner spoke up, startling all of them. Carefully, the older man reached out and gently turned the face of their sleeping comrade. "See?"

Marco tilted to the side and nodded along with a few others. "Nicely spotted."

"Oh." Connie nodded, eyes widening in realization. "Okay, not a single cloud."

"What are you talking about?" Eren protested, moving to rotate their comrade's head once more. "If you see him from this angle, the clouds are speaking for themselves! Rain is unavoidable!"

"Hold on a moment," Jean argued, quickly brushing the bangs from their subject's forehead. "Okay, now look at him that way."

"That's messing up the entire picture, then," Armin interjected thoughtfully. "Are you trying to make it so it won't rain?"

"I'm right, so just admit it," Eren snapped, impatiently combing the sleeping figure's hair back to the basic position it had been in.

"No, no, I won't admit anything." Jean flicked the bangs back to the side once more, shooting Eren a murderous glare.

"What is your problem—?"

A quiet snort halted Eren in the middle of his sentence and all six of them inhaled sharply, eyes going wide when the cadet they were currently surrounding shifted and shakily raised an arm to rub his eyes, nearly hitting Jean in the process. With an agonizing slowness, Bertholdt's eyes crept open, and he stared blankly up at the six sheepish faces staring down at him.

"What's going on?" he inquired groggily.

Almost in unison, the six responded. "Nothing."

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: In chapter 48 of the manga, a few characters talked about how Bertholdt looked while sleeping and how they predicted the weather that way. As soon as I read that I knew I wanted to write it somewhere. I hope you enjoyed and hope you'll keep coming back for more. :)


	2. Damn Fool

_Damn Fool_

A flash explodes in the charcoal clouds just above his head, but Levi doesn't pay it any attention, continuing his journey across the Wall. He makes it two steps before the deafening crack of thunder pursues its partner, rolling across the black sky and echoing in his ears.

A darkened figure stands a ways off, staring up at the active sky and their glasses flare up for a moment as lightning reflects in them. They don't turn to Levi when he comes to stand beside them, however they do release a sigh, although whether it's to acknowledge his presence or just a simple act of exhaustion, he's not sure.

They both watch the night sky, eyes following the bright trails that appear and disappear before thunder is added to the show. A bolt strikes down on the horizon, but there isn't a sudden glow from a rogue flame, so the storm's audience doesn't fret.

After a moment, the second figure raises a hand to the flashing tendrils above, murmuring, "Do you think if I stood here long enough, I could get hit?"

Levi's eyes drift over to the commander as he considers the question even though he already has an answer. They sound almost serious, as though the inquiry is one they want to follow through with.

The dark haired man focuses back on the storm and mutters, "I think you'd be a damn fool."

There's a snort of amusement and Hanji's arm falls to her side. "It was just a thought."

"You're still a damn fool either way."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."


	3. Limits

A/N: For AutumnMobile12. ^^ Good luck!

-/-\-|-/-\-

_Limits_

The air smelled like rot in some places and mud and filth in others. Muttered curses and tired sighs could be heard almost everywhere and someone cried out in horror a few buildings away but no one moved to investigate.

Levi exhaled tiredly, turning away from a few bony figures in rags that lay slumped against poor excuses for buildings. Sometimes he could drown out the pathetic world, but the morning had brought a particularly heavy shot of the hell he lived in.

Isabel walked beside him, arms folded behind her head as she hummed the tune the old man on the street corner had taught her. She didn't appear to be taking in anything around her, almost like it was hidden from her bright eyes.

On the other side of Isabel strode Farlan with a ragged sack over one shoulder and an intense expression as though he was seeing through the underground city and up into the world beyond.

It was a normal morning, just like all the others, yet for some reason, this particular start of the day seemed extra crappy and ticked Levi off more than he would've liked. He couldn't think of any specific reason why, so it was probably just him. Perhaps he was finally hitting his limit on how much trash and poverty he could take.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he suddenly felt fingers intertwine with his own, squeezing tightly. He turned to a beaming Isabel, narrowing his eyes questioningly.

The girl turned away from him and reached for Farlan, seizing the other man's hand with a victorious smile. Facing the polluted street before them, she began swinging her arms while she walked, forcing Levi and Farlan to mimic the action.

Levi looked over Isabel's bobbing head at Farlan, but all he received was a helpless grin and a shrug of his shoulders.

The three strode through the uncleanliness like that, arms swinging to and fro, appearing as though not a single bit of the underground city bothered them and they'd found their own freedom without having to go outside the Walls.

Maybe he could tolerate the rotting air a bit longer.


	4. He Wasn't Dead

A/N: Set between chapters 50 and 51 of the manga. There are spoilers, so heads up.

-/-\-|-/-\-

_He Wasn't Dead_

He wasn't dead.

When Jean cracked an eye open, wincing from the pain that sprang forth everytime his body moved, that much was obvious. Judging by the almost nauseating rocking he was experiencing along with the uneven jostling, he guessed he was on horseback.

He opened his other eye, the skin stretching stiffly as though dried mud covered his left temple. The land sped by in a blur of soft oranges and crimson reds from the setting sun and a wave of vertigo seized him. Closing his eyes, he clung tightly to the rider in front of him so not to lose his balance and crash down to the earth as it flew by.

He remembered being on horseback, running from Titans. No, the Titans hadn't been following him, not really. That's right, they were being thrown at him by Reiner. He'd glanced over to the side for a just moment, searching for a way to get to Eren and Mikasa. Then someone had yelled at him...Armin? When he'd looked back, a Titan was on him.

Jean exhaled, trying to suppress the urge to vomit. The inside of his skull felt like rocks were being launched at the bone, rattling everything within and making his pusle throb. He supposed the uncomfortable feeling across the left side of his face was a splatter of drying blood. He really hoped it felt worse than it actually was.

They'd made it out of another fight, but how many bodies had they left back there? How many were eaten or crushed when Titans were hurtled at them? How many soldiers had Reiner taken out? How much had been lost because of Reiner and Bertholdt?

The rider in front of him shifted suddenly, and he quickly released them, not realizing he'd been curling his hands into fists as anger plagued his mind from the thought of what both Titans had done.

Another bout of faintness hit when he opened his eyes and attempted raising his head once more. Darkness crept into the corners of his vision and everything around him started fading as he let his head fall against the shoulder of the person in front of him.

He wasn't dead.

It appeared to be a recurring outcome for him and the others.

He was okay with that.


	5. Home

A/N: Spoilers for chapter 42.

-/-\-|-/-\-

_Home_

He opened his eyes when he heard the quiet but unmistakable shaky breaths that accompanied tears.

Reiner turned onto his side, peering through the darkness at the bunk next to his and staring into Bertholdt's back with blank eyes. He saw his friend's body shudder as the young man tried suppressing another sob.

The cadet Eren Jaeger and his friend Armin Arlert had been from the Shiganshina District when everything had changed for humanity. They'd said so earlier that evening, right before they'd stepped outside to avoid the ears of the other cadets. While walking, Reiner had concluded the boy Eren seemed to have burning cinders for a temper. He'd said he was going to kill every last Titan.

Reiner raised a hand and rubbed his eyes tiredly, releasing a low exhale of breath. Learning about the existence of 'those fools' had really changed everything. Now he'd done things he couldn't take back. He was absolutely pathetic.

The soldier glanced over at Bertholdt once more, thinking about what his friend had done. With just one, swift motion, he'd let despair and tragedy tear its way through humanity's lives, and now here he sat among those same individuals, crying in the darkness. He had it worse, didn't he?

"Bertholdt." It was barely a whisper, but his friend stopped shaking for a moment. "We'll survive, without fail, and we'll both go home."

There was a long sigh and a sniff but no words could be heard, and Reiner felt a twinge of relief when his friend ceased to cry.


	6. Time for Tea

A/N: This one's for Hanji's birthday!

-/-\-|-/-\-

_Time for Tea_

Levi was sitting in the darkened room of the Survey Corps' old headquarters, mulling over the events of the day, as well as those in the last few years. From him joining the scouts to the Colossal Titan breaking through the Wall to the boy Eren Jaeger being a Titan as well, in his opinion, too much had happened.

"Do you think moping in the dark will discourage the Titans from living?"

Levi looked up, unamused as Hanji stepped through the doorway carrying two mugs in her hand. She sat down at the table and slid one of the cups over to him, smiling quickly.

"What are you doing here?" he inquired, raising the cup and identifying the steaming liquid as tea.

"I came to check up on Eren, same as before," Hanji replied, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm making sure you're all treating him nicely. The fate of humanity could be in his hands."

"Thanks for the reminder," Levi muttered darkly, taking a slow drink of tea. After setting down the mug, he frowned as his gaze was met with Hanji's curious, almost excited one. "What?"

"How does it taste?" the commander inquired, leaning forward in anticipation. "Sweet? Tangy? A little bitter?"

Levi took a few minutes to process the flavor on his tongue and narrowed his eyes dangerously. It hadn't tasted like regular tea, not exactly. There was something off about it. Something _very_ off.

"What did you put in this?" he demanded, staring disgustedly into the contents of his mug.

"I had a sample of Titan saliva from awhile back. It didn't deteriorate, oddly enough, but you know our clothes can be soaked with it and it doesn't steam like blood. What's it taste like?"

Levi stared at the bright eyed commander, grinding his teeth together and pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth. With a scowl, he scraped his chair back and stalked towards the open door.

"Don't worry! I've tested it before to the point I know it's not deadly!" Hanji called after him. "Still, how's the flavor? Hey, Levi!"

The captain slammed the door shut without another word or even a glance over his shoulder before he pressed his hand to his mouth and suppressed a gag.

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: Gross, Hanji, but you probably tried it yourself and wanted another opinion, didn't you? Hope you all enjoyed it. :)


	7. These Things to Remember

_These Things to Remember_

"Man, that was a rough day of training," Connie groaned, flopping onto his bunk in exhaustion. "I think I emptied a gallon of sweat onto that training field. Do you think Shadis was trying to kill us?"

"He's like that every single day, so I don't know why you aren't used to it yet," Jean replied darkly, quickly swiping the hem of his shirt across his forehead.

"The first few weeks were the worst," Armin piped up where he was on the top of his bunk. The cadet lay on his back, arms outstretched in the air while he flipped an old, ragged hat in his fingers. "I think we've all gotten better, though."

"Well, maybe not Connie," Reiner murmured from where he sat, casting a glance and a quick smirk at the other cadet.

"I'm sorry not all of us were graced with the wall of muscle that is your body, Reiner," Connie retorted before pulling himself upright and focusing on Armin. "Hey, I've noticed you always keep that hat next to your bunk, Armin. Whose was it?"

The blonde stopped rotating the hat, eyes sliding over to meet Connie's before he answered solemnly, "It was my grandfather's. He was sent on the Recovery Mission and gave it to me before he left." The cadet looked curious for a moment and inquired, "How did you know it belonged to someone before me?"

Connie shrugged and let his gaze drop to the floor. "You can just tell sometimes. I'm sure everyone here as a little keepsake, something to remember their old lives by. There probably aren't many who have something that wasn't given to them by someone special."

Everyone else in the room was quiet, save for coughing as someone cleared their throat. After a moment or two, Connie spoke, "Sorry I brought it up. I was just curious, that's all."

"It's alright," Armin replied softly and the thick silence coated the room once more.

Connie looked back and forth between the melancholy faces before declaring, "I have a shirt from my little sister."

The rest of the group sent the cadet bewildered glances, and Bertholdt inquired, "Your sister?"

"Yeah," Connie admitted, laughing nervously. "She found out I was heading off to join the cadets and learn how to fight the Titans… Okay, she thought I was going to fight the Titans, but I'm still joining the Military Police." The cadet smiled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Anyway, when she found out, she wanted to give me something to remember her by and well, I got a shirt. It's pink, too."

A few of them snickered at the red faced cadet, and Connie shrugged, looking up at Armin and saying, "Alright, we're even now. Everyone else probably has something to remember, too. Not saying I want to begin a festival of sob stories," he added quickly.

"Yes, I've heard Marco's is a real tear jerker," Reiner announced, earning an indignant cry from the younger man. "We'll be curled up on the floor tonight with tear soaked blankets as we all hold Marco close."

"W-What?" Marco protested, growing alarmed as all the attention was suddenly directed on him. "What are you guys talking about?"

Armin turned his grandfather's hat over in his hands once more, smiling a fraction.

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: I feel terrible whenever I write about their training days… Not because those semi-happy times are gone (okay, that's part of the reason), but mostly because I always forget to write Marco in there… *sigh*


	8. Sarcasm Comes Before Sleep

_Sarcasm Comes Before Sleep_

It was supposed to be a quick assignment, a test to see how well everyone could do without a crisis under their noses. Marco was the group leader while Armin kept detailed records of everything that happened. The mission had been going well, save for the usual jabs Eren and Jean shot back and forth at each other, but then a lizard had crossed their path and everything seemed to have gone to Hell from there.

Armin released a sigh, tapping his crude writing utensil against a sheet of paper while watching Jean and Eren bicker. Marco had told him not to write anything down, that it was only friendly conversation, so there wasn't much he could do.

"You're completely useless!" Jean snapped, trying to shove Eren away, but the other cadet had a firm hold of the taller man's jacket and wasn't letting go.

"Shut up! I'm more prepared to fight than you are, and I'd make more of an impact on lessening the Titans' population than you could!" Eren retorted sharply, finally releasing Jean after receiving a hefty push that almost sent him stumbling backwards.

"Come on, guys," Sasha piped up quietly. "We can still hunt down that lizard. Maybe we can see who can catch it first, hmm?"

Connie leaned sideways, sending Sasha a look and muttering, "You're not really helping."

"Forget it," Jean muttered, returning to his spot by one of their small fires, shooting a final glare at Eren. "Tch, this is stupid."

Eren sat down as well, mumbling something under his breath, but to Armin's relief, the quarrel seemed to have fizzled out. He only hoped the rest of the night could be spent in the same silence.

It did, for the most part. The rest of them chattered quietly amongst themselves, passing around food and discussing their course of action for the next day. Then they'd gathered their supplies from the horses, blankets and such they would need for the night.

Armin could already see a problem forming as Eren laid his blanket down in the place he'd claimed next to the dying fire. He would've said something, but by the time he'd opened his mouth, Jean placed his own bedding next to Eren's and glared at the other cadet.

"What are you doing?" Eren inquired darkly, crossing his arms and facing Jean.

"I'm simply putting my stuff in my spot," Jean answered, giving Eren's blankets a nudge with his boot. "Why are you here?"

"I was sitting here before, so I only thought it'd make sense for me to sleep here," Eren shot back.

"Oh, great," Connie sighed under his breath, unrolling his own bedding a good distance away from the bickering pair.

"Really?" Jean inquired with mock bewilderment, giving Eren a smirk. "You seem to fancy yourself higher than the rest of us. Why don't you go nest in a tree somewhere?"

Sasha winced at the jab, sliding under her blankets and pulling them over her head so she could avoid the brewing verbal war.

Eren gritted his teeth, glanced at Jean's bedding and responded sourly, "Do you even need that? I thought horses slept standing up?"

Connie slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress a snort of laughter and turned the other way, faking a sudden fit of coughing.

"Can't one of you sleep somewhere else?" Marco inquired hesitantly, looking from one cadet to the other.

"No, then one of them would be admitting defeat," Connie explained quickly when he was done snickering.

Jean glowered at Eren and straightened his own bedding before firmly planting himself in the middle of it. "I think if he's so obsessed with Titans, he should go find some to study. Who knows what evil deeds they commit under the cover of night," he muttered sarcastically.

Eren narrowed his eyes and dropped onto his own bed, turning his back to Jean and replying darkly, "If I wanted to study ugly brutes while they slept, I'd turn around so I could watch you."

Jean bolted upright, staring at the other cadet's back while screaming, "What did you just say, you little brat?"

"You heard me!" Eren shouted. "If you've got a problem with it, sleep somewhere else. Maybe somewhere where you won't be a nuisance to everyone."

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?" the light-haired cadet hissed, throwing himself onto his side facing away from Eren. "Tough for you, I'm sleeping right here. If it'll kill you, there are plenty of trees. Pick one with a high branch so you have a better chance of breaking something when you fall."

Eren ignored the suggestion and pulled his blanket up to his chin with a scowl.

Everyone else stared at the two, sending questioning looks to one another but remaining silent. After a moment, Marco looked over at Armin and murmured, "You didn't write all of that down, did you?"

The blonde looked over his long list of hastily written insults and gave a helpless shrug.

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: Well, this one was for the third OVA episode. When I first saw it, I kind of snickered when Eren and Jean were sitting back to back around their campfires. They'd been bitching back and forth, so why sit within earshot of each other? Then I couldn't figure out why they'd sleep side by side, so I ran this scenario through my head and decided it sounded pretty believable. (Plus I had fun writing their insults… ^^ )


	9. Take Flight

_Take Flight_

Ever since he was little, he could remember his parents talking about everything outside the Walls. His mother was the first to bring up the idea, speaking excitedly in hushed tones to her husband. He'd only been five, sitting on the floor at his parents' feet, immersed in a book until he'd heard the phrase, 'Outside the Wall.' He'd perked his head up, let the book lie open, completely neglected as he focused on his mother's every word. That's when he began learning of the world outside their cage.

A few years ago, he'd sat outside his parents' room, listening to them converse back and forth, sometimes in frustration, sometimes with hope or anxiety. Pretty soon it became a plan, later a promise to one another: They would go outside the Walls.

Some months ago, he'd found a book his grandfather had hidden away, kept from all eyes, especially his own, but he'd found it either way. He'd shown everything to his friend. The lands of gold, bodies of water filled with salt, strange animals they'd never seen nor imagined, emerald forests, everything. He'd told him what his parents were planning to do.

Just three weeks ago, his parents revealed to him him how they were going to get outside the Walls. It was an ingenious creation, and he couldn't help but stare in awe. His father explained that the right kind of gas could inflate the balloon that had been fastened securely to a large basket fit for two people and other ideal provisions. When inflated, it would fly away, leading them out of the cage.

Just last night, his parents had held him tight, kissing his cheeks, his hair, his forehead, saying just how much they would miss him and promised they would get in touch with him. One day they would come back for him and maybe lead humanity itself to freedom.

It was only that morning he and his grandfather had been approached by the Military Police. They told them there had been an accident farther in the city and both his parents had been killed. They didn't give details, only hinted at a questionable fight in the street that had led to their deaths.

Now he sits by his friend, rubbing his eyes to smother the tears but instead he's given more. He tries not to think of their smiles or how happy they'd looked at the prospect of going outside. He doesn't try to imagine what last expressions had been thrown across their faces. He refuses to think about the barriers holding him prisoner, the prey on the inside with the predators outside.

He buries his face in his arms while his friend keeps a comforting arm around his shoulders. No, he'd been wrong. There were predators inside, too. Humanity killed just like the Titans. They killed his mother and father.

"Eren," he whispers quietly, feeling a tear drop from his eye and onto his arm. "They just wanted to go outside. How could they have dreamed so much only to be killed by people in the same position, people who are trapped just like them?"

His friend doesn't have anything to say to that and rests a hand on his head, shaking his own in defeat.

"I can't guarantee that what's beyond the Walls and Titans is completely free of pain and suffering," he murmurs in response to his Eren's silence, raising tearful blue eyes to meet the other's sympathetic green ones. "But I truly believe it's better than what we have right now."

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: When I read chapter 55 of the manga and Sanes was talking to Hanji and Levi, he mentioned bringing down stupid couples who tried to fly away. If that's a hint at what fate befell Armin's parents, it's rather sad.


	10. Motherly

_Motherly_

Night had blissfully fallen after the usual wretched day of grueling training. After swallowing down their food, the girls had returned to their barracks for the evening, hitting the mattresses and beckoning sleep to seize them.

Krista awoke in the middle of the night as pale moonlight shone through the one, lone window on the far side of the room. It allowed her to see a few of her comrades, nothing but motionless lumps beneath blankets.

Krista yawned, shifted uncomfortably and wondered what had woken her up. She could hear Sasha snoring, just as the girl had done the previous nights. The noise wasn't the most feminine thing in the world, but Krista decided the growling snorts was only part of the reason she woke up.

The left side of her body felt strangely warm compared to the right, and when she turned her head a fraction, she squeaked in alarm as her eyes fell upon Ymir's peaceful face. The cadet had snuggled up to the smaller girl in her sleep and was currently keeping a firm hold on her, almost like a child would with a stuffed animal.

The act itself didn't bother Krista. The other girl was keeping her warm after all, so she saw no reason to complain. What had her troubled was a different matter entirely.

Krista squirmed, inching to the edge of the bed, and Ymir's arms tightened around her, nose burrowing itself into her hair. The blonde released an exasperated sigh and made a quick decision.

"Mikasa," the young cadet hissed, peering up at the bottom of her comrades bunk. "Mikasa, are you awake?"

There was some movement above, the sound of blankets being pushed aside and Mikasa's upside down, not-one-hundred-percent-happy, face peered back at Krista as she mumbled, "What?"

"Ymir's stuck to me, and she won't let go," Krista explained hastily.

Mikasa blinked tiredly and inquired in a low tone, "So? Just go back to sleep."

"N-No, I can't," Krista murmured urgently before the other girl could disappear again. "I just… I really have to pee!"

The dark-haired cadet watched Krista thoughtfully for a moment and tilted her head to the side. "Just kick her out, then."

"I don't want to be mean."

"Ymir will forgive you, your bladder won't be as nice."

"I know that, but—!"

There was movement from the other side of the room as one of the previously sleeping figures rose from her bed, rummaged around through the darkness for a moment before advancing on Krista and Ymir. Krista recognized the figure as Annie and was about to apologize for being so loud when the expressionless cadet dropped something on the floor beside Krista's bunk with a metallic _clank!_

Krista tilted her head to the side and peered over the edge of her mattress, frowning despondently at the metal bucket Annie had brought with her. Quietly, she mumbled, "That doesn't really help."

Annie didn't say anything and strode past a few of their sleeping comrades, reaching Sasha's bed and gently turning the girl over, putting her snoring to an abrupt halt. Retreating from the now peaceful sleeper, she stopped next to Mina's bed, straightened the blanket and pulled it up closer to the girl's chin. Then, without a single word, the blonde crawled back into her own bed and disappeared beneath the blanket.

Mikasa exhaled shortly and drew back, letting her head fall against the pillow once more without addressing Krista again.

The blonde looked over at the bucket, gazed at Annie's sleeping form, turned to Ymir's content face and released another sigh.

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: AutumnMobile12 and I came up with this and thought Annie's motherly side would be rather cute.


	11. Let Them Be Kids

_Let Them Be Kids_

The pale sunlight signaling the end of the day pooled into the Jaeger home, alerting Carla of the lateness of the hour. The loving mother quickly rinsed her hands in the sink and dried them on her apron, checking the food one last time and nodding in satisfaction. She glanced out the kitchen window, searching for the familiar scene of Eren and Mikasa meandering their way to the front door, but the only people in the street were a couple of elderly men discussing something in a newspaper.

Carla strode to the front door, opening it to reveal the disappointingly empty, cobblestone path. She looked both ways, squinting into the dim light and releasing a sigh.

The dark-haired woman moved away from her home, checking the familiar route for both her children, but the only kids in the street weren't her own. She couldn't even hear Eren's indignant protests that popped up whenever Mikasa accused him of something.

By the time the sky had begun turning a darker orange, she'd reached the Wall and was staring through the gate into the meadow beyond, not completely empty of people.

"Hello, Carla," came the familiar voice of Hannes, and she turned, sending the man a brief smile. "What're you doing out at this hour, huh?"

"Eren and Mikasa haven't returned home quite yet," Carla murmured, trying to loosen the knot of anxiety that twisted around her heart. "I was wondering if you'd seen them at all?"

Hannes scratched the back of his head and looked upwards, frowning thoughtfully before it turned apologetic and he responded, "I'm sorry, I haven't seen either of 'em. Do you want an extra pair of eyes?"

Carla sighed in relief and nodded, accepting the offer gratefully and the two strode through the gate and onto the grassy plain beyond. They strode by a group of children who were racing back inside, back to their homes, no doubt. A couple sat by a nearby tree, joking back and forth, but Eren and Mikasa were both absent.

The knot of worry had tightened savagely and Carla turned, calling to Hannes who was searching a ways off.

The soldier shrugged helplessly and was about to move elsewhere when he suddenly stopped, aimed a grin at Carla and beckoned for her to come over.

As the young woman approached, Hannes raised a finger to his lips and motioned to a nearby tree. The two moved towards it, and Carla gave a relieved sigh followed by a quick laugh.

Both Eren and Mikasa sat against the rough limb, eyes closed and breathing softly, far away from their own world. Mikasa's head was on Eren's shoulder and her scarf was wrapped tightly around both their necks.

"So exhausted they couldn't even get home, huh?" Hannes inquired with a gentle smile. "Did you plan on waking them or did you need my assistance once more?"

Carla knelt down and carefully worked the scarf off Eren's shoulders, lifting the boy with a quiet grunt of surprise before she turned to Hannes with a sheepish smile. "It's been awhile since I've done this. He's gotten bigger, that's for sure."

Hannes laughed softly and pulled Mikasa into his arms, carefully situating the rest of the scarf so it sat comfortably on her. "Won't be too long and they'll be all grown up."

Carla shifted Eren in her arms, glancing over at Hannes gratefully. "For now, let them be kids."


	12. Monsters

_Monsters_

Sleep wasn't much for company that night which was why Armin Arlert had fastened on his 3D Maneuver Gear and stepped out into the night, peering up at the monstrous wall that separated him and the horizon. With as much ease and quiet the gear allowed, Armin propelled himself towards the barrier, meeting the stone with his feet and kicking off again, rising higher and higher. A cold wind opposed him, but he continued upwards, keeping bright eyes fixed on the stars above. When his boots met the top of the wall, he almost stumbled backwards when he found he wasn't alone.

Armin considered there should have been soldiers on the Wall, carefully examining the stretch of grass and trees for Titans, however on this section of the Wall, only one figure stood, turning to fix him with a dark stare.

"I'm sorry," Armin began quickly, shifting over a few steps so he wasn't standing on the edge. "I didn't mean to disturb you, but I couldn't sleep, and I thought standing up here for a bit would help."

The soldier blinked but didn't appear interested in sending the cadet back to where he'd come from. Instead, he simply muttered, "Fine. It's not like there isn't enough Wall."

Armin flinched, recognizing Captain Levi's voice and squinted through the darkness to see it was indeed humanity's strongest that stood a ways before him. He hastily saluted, exclaiming, "My apologies, sir."

"I said it's fine."

"Thank you, sir."

There was a sigh that Armin winced at, but it was forgotten when a long, somewhat unsettling silence was draped over the two. A few minutes went by—was it fifteen, twenty? Armin wasn't counting off the seconds—before something broke the quiet. It took the blonde a moment or two to realize he was listening to a voice, his captain's voice, and that the older man was speaking to him.

"Sorry, sir," Armin murmured sheepishly. "What did you say?"

"I said I once watched a man throw himself off this Wall."

Armin blinked and, for a second, took back his request that Levi repeat himself. He hadn't been expecting any words to come out of the soldier's mouth, let alone a daunting statement about death, though he supposed that was one of the more likely things for him to say. That or something about the wretched world they lived in.

Swallowing, the young cadet responded quietly, "You did, sir? That must have been alarming."

Levi turned to look at him, eyes narrowing. "Indeed. You can stop finishing all of your sentences with 'sir'."

"Yes, s—" Armin finished the statement with a cough, focusing intently on the blackness before them.

"I'd only just joined the Survey Corps, and I was walking along the Wall before one of the expeditions."

Armin glanced over at the man, surprised he was telling the story instead of just leaving the chilling assertion as it was.

"He was an older man, had probably seen his fair share of Titans. He wore the Wings of Freedom, so it was likely he'd seen hell outside the Wall." His expression didn't change while recalling the memory. It revealed no melancholy or any other emotion, just a blank stare that didn't come across as harsh or disgusted as his usual countenance.

"He had his gear next to his feet. He could've passed off as any normal soldier inspecting it before heading off to battle. Then he stood and backed up until his heels were balanced over the edge and just let himself fall."

Armin looked to where the Wall ended only a foot from where he was positioned. He imagined what the descent down was like and took a step back.

"What did you do?" he asked softly.

Levi gave an almost nonexistent shrug, replying, "He was far away, but he caught my eye for just a moment. He was tired of this crappy world, that much was obvious. I'll admit, it's not the way I would want to go, but if it worked for him, fine. I wasn't going to stop him."

"Oh." Armin couldn't think of much else to say and took a step away from his captain, signaling his intent to leave. He raised his arms in a salute, about to excuse himself when Levi faced him.

"It's a shit war we're fighting, but I won't stop until a Titan's jaws are the only thing separating my torn body with the outside. I'm living to see the end of this hell, so I'm not going to lose a war with myself before that happens."

The soldier's eyes may have softened for a heartbeat, but the darkness of the night made it hard for Armin to tell.

"This war turns all of us into monsters," Levi murmured. "Don't surrender so easily to what you become."

Armin inclined his head a fraction. "Yes, sir."

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: For some reason, I keep giving Armin the more daunting chapters... If I come up with some tale of woe for his birthday, well... that'll be a little sad...


	13. Color of a Cow's Teeth

A/N: Ahh, it feels like forever since I posted something! For me, anyway. I apologize and hope you enjoy this quick drabble!

-/-\-|-/-\-

_Color of a Cow's Teeth_

Levi could hear Hanji ranting on about her usual subject of interest before he even walked into the room. Chatter went flying by regarding a Titan and the fluid its eye held and a deep breath was taken before the soldier strode into the room.

"Oh, Levi," Hanji greeted, nodding her head in acknowledgement. She was sitting by the table with Eren across from her and was attempting to clean the boy's bloody face. On any other day when she wasn't gushing over the training results of a Titan, she would've done a good job. However, seeing as she did have a Titan who'd just finished experiments seated before her, his face was beginning to look more like a collapsed, rotting tomato.

Levi glanced at the young cadet, blinking coldly when Eren sent him an almost pleading look.

"I was just telling Eren about that one precious Titan I had the pleasure of studying," Hanji spoke cheerfully. "Don't you remember me talking about him, Levi? His eyes were—"

"The color of a cow's teeth, I remember," Levi interrupted calmly, moving towards the two of them and crossing his arms in response to Hanji's scowl.

"His eyes were not that color," the squad leader hissed.

"Well, that's all I remember." Levi waved a hand in dismissal, narrowing his eyes as Hanji returned to her attempts to clean Eren's face. "Four eyes, he looks like shit."

"Eh?" Hanji pulled back in alarm, looking over Eren and wincing. "Oh, sorry, Eren. That training exercise did get a little messy, huh?"

Before Hanji could raise the now dark rag, courtesy of the disaster on Eren's face, Levi pulled it from her hand and impatiently shoved her aside. Before either she or Eren could protest, Levi grabbed a fistful of Eren's hair, pulled the soldier's head back, and began viciously scraping at the blood on the boy's temple.

"Levi, don't hurt him," Hanji scolded gently, wiping her own hands on her uniform.

"He's fine," Levi muttered, tilting Eren's head until his neck almost snapped, running the tattered rag down the side of his face with quick, repetitive motions.

The blood was beginning to wash away from Eren's skin, leaving a pained expression in its wake as the cadet's face was twisted either way so it could get free of crimson. It wasn't until his chin and mouth were being cleaned that Eren noticed, for only a second, a flash of bewilderment on his captain's face. It was probably about the training exercise and how he'd managed to get doused in blood in the first place and Eren was about to reply when Levi spoke first.

"Hanji, where did you get this rag?"

Hanji looked up from dusting her glasses, blinking dubiously. "Hm? Oh, I got it from one of the cupboards in the kitchen. The one below the sink."

Levi drew the cloth away from Eren's face, turning to fix Hanji with a dead look that had Eren's stomach dropping to the floor.

"Four eyes," Levi began in a warning tone.

"Yes, Levi?"

"This is the rag used to clean the privy."

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: Gross.


	14. Target

_'Aren't you scared? Well, that's just fine...' - Nightmare Before Christmas_

_Target_

It's a bright day, but the October breeze is killing the mood with its goosebump awakening chill. He can't say he's particularly enjoying it as he unrolls his shirt sleeves, pulling them over the hands he folds under his arms to keep warm. He'll close the window in a moment.

The autumn leaves detach themselves from the dry branches, swirling to the ground to join the rest of their downed family. It's going to take awhile to sweep them off the path. He'll probably get someone else to do that. Eren's cleaning is horrific, so there's no telling what damage he could do to a measly pile of leaves.

There are footsteps below as someone meanders out of the old building, a basket of laundry in their arms. He watches them, narrowing his eyes as the person walks just below the window he's standing in. He isn't that far from the ground.

With great care, he pulls himself onto the stone window ledge for just a moment before easing himself into the air. He's falling in an instant, quick and nearly silent with the October air rushing past him.

When he lands, he almost smirks in satisfaction at the sharp intake of breath his target rewards him with as he reaches out and grabs their shoulders, pulling them back for a brief moment. The basket of clothes has been completely forgotten in the sudden moment of terror and lies on the ground, a few shirts spilling out.

Petra whips her head to the side to see what has scared her and stares wide eyed as she leans back against her 'attacker'. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, she inquires in bewilderment, "Captain, what are you doing?"

Levi blinks. "Happy Halloween."

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: You heard him. Happy Halloween everybody. ;)


	15. Absurdly Cute

_Absurdly Cute_

Another day of harsh, tear-provoking training had come and gone and all the cadets had returned to the barracks for a quick supper and a hasty retreat for bed. When Eren sat down on his bunk, his knee cracked sharply and actually turned a few heads in his direction. On the bunk above his, Armin was rubbing his temples and trying to fend off a nasty headache. He didn't even care that Eren and Jean were bickering same as usual.

"Man, today was awful," Marco sighed, unlacing his boot and gently sliding it off to look over a red mark that had spread across his ankle. Tugging off his sock, the young man murmured, "I knew I'd get a mark from Annie's attacks. I'm lucky she didn't break one of my toes."

A few of the others nodded, and the ones who'd gone hand to hand with Annie shuddered as her cold eyes came to mind.

"She's amazing, though, you have to give her that," Reiner admitted with a shrug. "After all, she was able to throw me down without too much—" The larger cadet stopped mid-sentence, leaning over the top of his bunch to look at Marco who was massaging his aching foot. Blinking in bewilderment, Reiner muttered, "Marco, you have absurdly cute feet."

"Eh?" Marco whipped around to look at Reiner with wide eyes, mouth open in alarm. "What?"

"Is that weird?" Reiner inquired with a nonchalant shrug. "Seriously, guys, aren't his feet petite-looking?"

Armin cast a glance over at his comrade, raising his eyebrows in consideration. "Yeah, I guess we're so used to wearing boots all the time, we never really see each other's feet."

"Th-They're not that special!" Marco protested as his face went a few shades lighter than a pomegranate. "Really, you guys are starting to freak me out."

"Everyone's right," Eren agreed, peering up at Marco's foot and nodding. "They're cute, like a girl's."

"Hey, hey, don't say that!" Connie protested, head shooting up from where he was sprawled out across his own bed. "Don't compare his feet to a girl's. Have you seen Ymir's feet? They're thicker and manlier than Reiner's!"

Reiner raised a skeptical eyebrow but after some thought, nodded in agreement. "That's not surprising."

"Marco and Ymir must've switched feet before becoming scouts," Connie spoke up confidently. "Although why you would, I don't know."

"Maybe the girls are lighter on their feet," Armin suggested quietly.

"Maybe the boots never felt right on Marco's feet, so he traded his with Ymir's feet," Eren offered with a quick shrug.

"That has to be a messy procedure," Jean added for the first time during the conversation.

"Yeah, and how much would it cost?" Reiner murmured. "Unless Ymir wanted Marco's feet to begin with…"

On his bunk, Marco was carefully slipping his sock and boot back on, cheeks red from embarrassment as the conversation continued weirdly late into the night.

-/-\-|-/-\-

A/N: I'm not sure where this one came from… I got the idea and AutumnMobile12 suggested Marco and Reiner was the one noticing his feet, so I said, "That'll work!" Weird...


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